


it may be winter outside (but in my heart it's spring)

by brbabe



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, At least I tried to be funny, Chenle and Jisung are mentioned... barely, Fluff and Humour, Fluff without Plot, Friends to Lovers, Listen this is self indulgent, M/M, Making Out, Miscommunication, PLOTLESS!, Pining, This Is STUPID
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 18:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16068500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brbabe/pseuds/brbabe
Summary: The cold weather is definitely the bane of Donghyuck’s existence. Or maybe it's just Mark Lee.





	it may be winter outside (but in my heart it's spring)

**Author's Note:**

> A few things:  
> \- Jeno is aged up, same age as Mark  
> \- I didn't write about Chensung because I can't write too many people at once I had to take them out I'm sorry  
> \- This has NO plot whatsoever I just wrote all the cliches I could think of  
> \- I love markhyuck

The cold weather is definitely the bane of Donghyuck’s existence.

Not only because he _is_ a summer boy from head to toe, not only because he loves the smell of the sun on his skin, the warmth that embraces him every morning on his walk to school, the way his skin seems to glow even brighter when the sun is hitting it, but also because summer means Mark Lee is going to leave that _stupid_ pink sweatshirt buried in the depths of his wardrobe.

That _cursed_ pink piece of clothing that is way bigger on Mark than it should be, way softer than every other piece of clothing Donghyuck himself owns and that makes Mark looks way, way cuter than he really is. It gives him sweater paws and everything.

It fucking bothers Donghyuck to no end because him and Mark are still dancing around each other since last summer when they kissed _because_ Donghyuck didn’t feel like being the last in their group to kiss, not when even Chenle – his younger neighbour – was about to have his first kiss before him and of course it _had_ to be with Mark, he doesn’t even know how it happened. One second he was asking, the other, Mark’s lips were touching his and one kiss turned into two and into a make out session in the middle of his bed. Well.

But of course winter came earlier than expected, surprising meteorologists and housewives all around Korea, leaving Donghyuck in a sour mood and probably about to get Mark Lee inside the _ludicrous_ pink sweatshirt.

Donghyuck be damned.

“What’s gotten into you today?” Jaemin asks, black beanie covering his pinkish hair, there’s sauce in the corner of his lips. He looks dumb. “You are sulking.”

“‘S cold.” Donghyuck murmurs, poking the french fries on his plate. He still hasn’t properly seen Mark, with him being a year older and in his last year of high school, Mark has lots of classes he doesn't share with Donghyuck, they don’t see each other that much anymore aside from Stats and lunch time, and when they walk together after school, but he saw a glimpse of him in the hallway, picking up some books from his locker. Wearing that damned pink sweatshirt. “I hate the cold.”

“It’s january.” Jaemin deadpans.

Donghyuck pouts. “Whatever.” He pulls his hood over his head. For everyone else, if Donghyuck ever admitted the source of his bad mood, it would come off as… dramatic, to say the least, but no one understands how _adorable_ Mark looks in that sweatshirt, Donghyuck has to physically restrain himself from jumping on Mark and kissing him silly.

Mark is usually really fucking cute, like, endearing to its maximum level without even trying and Donghyuck’s pants would be on fire if he said he doesn’t think about the softness of Mark’s lips against his own, or that he doesn’t remember how Mark’s tongue tasted in that few milliseconds their tongues danced around each other – he tasted like the orange juice Mark’s mom had brought to the room fifteen minutes earlier – and that it doesn’t break his heart to see Mark got over it so quickly.

Sometimes, though, Mark will rest his hand on Donghyuck’s thigh underneath the class table during class, or he will reach out to push Donghyuck’s bangs away from his forehead when they are talking or even lay his head on Donghyuck’s shoulders when they are playing video games, but it’s never for long enough for Donghyuck to start asking questions.

And the pink, soft sweatshirt is truly what almost makes Donghyuck risk it all.

“God, I really don’t like that teacher.” Donghyuck jumps on his seat when he hears Mark’s voice, he didn't see him coming, had no time to prepare. “He’s so mean.” He whines as he dumps his backpack on the ground and flops down on the seat next to Donghyuck.

Mark’s got his freshly dyed black hair down his forehead, bangs covering his eyebrows, his specs sliding down the bridge of his nose as he whines, the pink hoodie is there, bigger on him than it should, and Mark pulls it down even more to cover his hands.

Donghyuck’s heart skips several beats. Mark looks so good.

“What did he do now?” Jaemin asks, directing his question at Jeno – who came in with Mark, except Donghyuck just never pays attention to anyone else when Mark is around. They throw themselves in the conversation about Mark and Jeno’s teacher, but Mark turns his head to look at Donghyuck.

“Hi.” He says, he brings his hand to steal some of Donghyuck’s fries. “It was over when I got there.” Mark explains, then brings one of the fries to his cute little mouth and Donghyuck can’t, _can’t_ not follow his movements with hungry eyes. Hungry, yes, but not for the food. He wants to kiss Mark’s cute little mouth till his mouth is hurting.

“It’s fine, you have it.” Donghyuck says, sliding over his plate to Mark.

“No, it’s yours.” Mark slides it back to him.

“I already ate.” Donghyuck rolls his eyes, pushing the fries back to Mark’s side.

“But you like french fries.” Mark pouts and _what the fuck?_ The pink sweater is already giving Donghyuck a headache, but the pout?

“I like you more so I’m gifting it to you. Take it or else,” He raises his fist jokingly. Mark flushes a deep red.

“Fine.”

* * *

Thing is, Donghyuck thinks, maybe Mark doesn’t even know the power he possesses in his hands. At least, it doesn’t look like it. Mark is a stuttering mess, is a shy pup who hides behind his hands when Jaemin smiles at his way winking, he flushes prettily when Donghyuck touches him and _that_ is what makes him so insanely adorable.

But sometimes, he will have his hair up, showing off his pretty forehead – yes, Donghyuck is _whipped_ – and he will frown while confusedly staring at Donghyuck’s notes and all Donghyuck wants to do is kiss every centimetre of his face.

“Your notes are a mess.” Mark says.

"Sorry mom.” He rolls his eyes. “Can we use yours instead?”

“Fine.” Mark shrugs, fetching his stats notes. They are supposed to study for next week’s big test, but Donghyuck can’t concentrate because Mark looks so good, pink sweatshirt messing with his brain. Without moving too much, while Mark is still looking for his notes inside his backpack, Donghyuck reaches for the AC controller, bringing the temperature up in his room. Mark won’t need the damn hoodie.

They get to work. Mark is an awesome tutor, showing exactly how Donghyuck can better his calculations. At some point, he stops. “Was it that hot in here when we arrived?”

Donghyuck blinks innocently. “I think so.” He says. “Why don’t you take off the hoodie if you are so hot?”

“You’re right.” Mark replies, he gets up and takes off the pink piece of clothing, of course, that does little to shut out Donghyuck’s desperate feelings once he notices that without the sweatshirt, Mark’s arms are exposed. Arms that, by the way, were never this strong. Surely, Mark has been working out in his spare time. Fuck this, Donghyuck thinks.

Fuck Mark and his cute little mouth, strong arms and pink sweatshirt.

“Let’s get back to work,” Donghyuck says. “Can’t stand looking at your dumb face anymore.”

Mark throws his head back laughing. “You adore me.” He says, then he looks at Donghyuck, reaches for his face, caressing his cheekbone. “Don't you?”

And this isn’t fair, the way Mark acts when they are alone, when they are in the dark. When he reaches out to pull Donghyuck close, and it’s not like he pushes Donghyuck away - not anymore, at least. Now that Donghyuck thinks about it, he doesnt think Mark pushed him away since their kiss. Which, well, just confuses him a lot more.

They kissed.

And they never talked about it, but everything changed.

Mark changed, the way he spoke to Donghyuck changed, the way he acted around him changed. Donghyuck reckons a lot more changed inside Mark, although it’s hard to read someone who tries so hard to be unreadable.

He doesn’t push him away, but he also doesn’t say it, the words, any words, for that matter. Mark doesn’t run, but he hides. Hides from Donghyuck’s curious eyes, when he gets too close, like right now.

“I do.” Donghyuck says, because, well, it’s impossible for him to lie and pretend. He’s in love with Mark, he obviously is. Mark knows, has to, it’s been so long since Donghyuck tried to hide it as well. That’s something Donghyuck wins over Mark: he knows what he wants. Mark Lee, above anyone else.

So, he doesn’t turn away when Mark says things like that, _you like me, you adore me,_ because it’s true. And it’s cute to see the way Mark stutters and flushes when Donghyuck doesn't turn away.

“Hyuck,” Mark sighs, tiredly, Donghyuck wants to say _Mark, come on, free yourself_ , from whatever it is. Is he scared of getting hurt? His last boyfriend (Jaehyun, Donghyuck remembers him very well, older, cute, beautiful) broke up with Mark a few weeks before his graduation, he wanted to experiment in college, and Mark suffered, but not that much, he didn’t even cry. Does Mark thinks Donghyuck would hurt him more than Jaehyun did? No, it can’t be it. Donghyuck would never hurt Mark, even thinking about it makes his stomach protest.

Mark is important. It’s Mark. The little foreigner that used to sit alone in the farthest table of their lunchroom, that corrected their professors with a low, timid voice whenever they called him by his korean name, because he prefers Mark like a fucking loser. It’s Mark. The one who saved him from drowning in that water park during that school trip in middle school, the one who hugged him tightly when his parents divorced.

It’s Mark, his first kiss, first love, hopefully, first and last everything.

“Let’s get back to work.” Mark says, in the end, hands off Donghyuck in a second, though for the rest of their study session, Donghyuck still remembers the warmth he felt when Mark’s hands were on his face.

* * *

 

“You think I should ask him out?” Donghyuck asks. “Mark, I mean.”

Jaemin looks at him. “Duh.” He says, rolling his eyes. “Yes, I think you should grow a pair and make a move on him before someone else does.” Jaemin pointedly looks to his side, where Mark’s partner is sitting, focused on listening to whatever it is Mark is saying.

They are on an extracurricular class, every student needs to take at least one of them for extra points or some shit, but Donghyuck ended up running in late and losing the chance to be Mark’s partner. Not that being Jaemin’s partner wasn't super cool, but well, he isn’t in love with Jaemin. So, Mark’s partner, a petite girl who’s probably two years younger than them, is totally giving Mark the green light to hit on her.

Obviously, Mark doesn’t notice these kind of things, he’s dense and dumb. Donghyuck huffs.

“He would say no, anyways.” Says, crossing his arms.

“Right. You’re so sure of it because… Wait! You aren’t sure.”

“Shut up.” Donghyuck hisses. “I’m sure he would say no. She’s not even his type.”

And it’s nothing but the truth. Mark has an obvious type, for both girls and boys. He likes them smooth, soft, quiet and calm, sweet and gentle. Donghyuck hates it, because he is none of these things, Donghyuck is loud, hot, explosive, snarky with sharp edges and fire in his eyes.

Mark likes to say Donghyuck reminds him of a volcano. Beautiful, but dangerous. Fascinating and unpredictable.

Donghyuck is clear as a day not someone Mark would go for. Except, no one else fits Mark better than him, no one else understands Mark and pushes his buttons and annoys him so badly, no one else has their arms open for Mark, anywhere, anytime, for whatever reason. No one else knows how to put a smile on his face.

Maybe, Mark would choose him. Maybe, Mark would look at him, flaws and all, and think that yes, it could work out.

Later, after the project thing Donghyuck didn’t pay attention to at all, they leave for lunch.

It’s Wednesday, so they all go out for Mcdonalds, they meet Renjun there, because he is from a different school, like the snob he is, “You look stupid wearing that pink sweater.” Is the first thing he says, unnecessary and cute as only Renjun - and maybe his older brother Sicheng - manages to be.

“I didn’t ask.” Mark says, defensively, Donghyuck knows how much he loves the hoodie. “I’ll have you know people think I look adorable.”

“Who? If it’s Donghyuck he doesn't count.” Renjun fires back.

Donghyuck rolls his eyes. “Fuck you.” But he’s dying to know who else told Mark he looked adorable wearing the sweatshirt.

Not that Donghyuck ever told him he thought Mark looked adorable wearing that, actually, Donghyuck never used the word adorable for Mark in any circumstance. At least not out loud.

Mark sniffs. “My partner from today’s class.”

Donghyuck really has no fucking luck at all. Jaemin is right. If he doesn’t act on it someone else will take Mark away from his crooked fingers.

It’s cold enough that when Donghyuck scoffs, a puff of air leaves his mouth. “She’s a liar. Stay away from her.” He says teasingly as he fits himself in between Jeno and Jaemin, winning a nudge from Jaemin who clearly wanted to be snuggling his boyfriend. Instead, he ended up with Donghyuck’s head on his shoulder.

“I like it.” Jeno says, smiling at Mark, who’s sitting across the table. “You look like a baby.”

“Cute.” Jaemin chimes in. “Don’t listen to these two, they are just jealous they aren’t as cute as you.”

“I’m cute as a button.” Donghyuck raises an eyebrow.

“Donghyuck is cute.” Mark says, at the same time.

The table falls into silence. Donghyuck tries hard to suppress the smile trying to adorn his face, he can feel it tugging in the corner of his lips. Mark, in the other hand, looks too interested in the Mcdonalds menu like Donghyuck doesn’t know he’s about to ask for a Big Mac without pickles, like he always does.

“Yeah,” Renjun says, narrowing his eyes. Donghyuck _knows_ he’s about to say something, but something (or someone, probably Jeno) stops him from doing so.

Renjun deflates, sighs and changes the subject. When they eat, without saying anything, Mark slides his fries over to Donghyuck.

Later, already on his bed staring at the ceiling, Donghyuck pries inside his brain trying to remember the exact second his lips touched Mark’s, tries to snoop into the little boxes of memories to find the feeling, the exact feeling of Mark’s tongue in between his lips, because he misses it so much, wants to experience it again so badly, but all he has are his memories to calm down his desire a little bit.

He succeeds, most of the time.

But there will be moments, like right now, where the keepsake isn’t enough. He touches his bottom lip, squeezes it in between his thumb and his index finger, trying to make it feel like it did when Mark caught his bottom lip in between his teeth.

Fuck Mark Lee, for having Lee Donghyuck so wholly in the palm of his hands.

Donghyuck misses Mark, even if he had seen the boy earlier that day. Mark has been so busy lately, so out of his reach. Not only graduation is around the corner, technically, but Mark is also trying to get into a rap competition like the nerd he is, ugh. Donghyuck loves him. Misses having his full attention, like he had last summer, like he has during their private stats lessons.

Donghyuck wants Mark all to himself. He wishes he had the right words to initiate the conversation about their kiss with Mark, wishes he had the damn confidence he needs to tell Mark he knows how Mark feels, knows it's got to be the same thing _he_ feels, because it’s so obvious they belong together.

Sleepiness comes through, exhaustion saving Donghyuck from frying his brain cells.

* * *

 

“Jaemin told me you were thinking of asking Mark hyung out?” Jeno starts, as soon as he sits down next to Donghyuck in the bus.

Skipping class is something Jeno rarely does, but it’s an important occasion, his and Jaemin’s anniversary is around the corner, two years they have been together, and Jeno is lost about what to buy for Jaemin.

Now, Donghyuck knows Jaemin well enough to know he would love Jeno even if all he gave him was a handshake, but Jeno likes to do the most to show Jaemin how much he loves him. Donghyuck kindly offered his help, not only because he knew Jeno was a mess, but because he knew Jaemin like the back of his hand, as much as Jeno did.

They have been best friends forever, though if Donghyuck had to choose, Mark would be his best friend, the one who knows him the best, the one who is always by his side. He wishes he could say _“soulmates or some shit”_ like Jeno does with Jaemin.

Maybe he could, there are platonic soulmates, but he doesnt want that with Mark, nothing is platonic about the way he feels.

“Jaemin should learn how to keep his mouth shut.” Donghyuck grumbles. “Fucking snitch.”

Jeno laughs. “Come on, cut it out, you know telling him something is like telling _me_ something.”

“Soulmates or some shit.” Donghyuck says and Jeno laughs, agreeing. “Yeah, well, I was studying the idea… Of asking Mark out.”

“He would say yes, Mark hyung is whipped for you.” Jeno states. He’s the only one who still uses 'hyung' when talking about Mark, not even Jisung, who’s their youngest friend, neighbours with Mark and all, calls him that. Jeno is just too polite and too sweet.

No one in their friend group knows about their kiss, and yet everyone thinks they know how much Mark likes, or doesn't, Donghyuck. He reckons that if they did know about it, both him and Mark would have been spat on already, for dancing around each other like that.

Donghyuck sighs, he’s so tired of thinking about dating Mark and the implications. He just wants Mark to give him a proper sign, something, anything.

“Maybe.” He declares. “Or maybe he wants to enjoy being single in college or find a boyfriend or girlfriend there instead of tying himself to some high schooler.”

“Nah,” Jeno says. “He just wants you.”

Donghyuck smacks his head, lightly. “How can you know that!”

Jeno smiles. “I just do. What are you gonna do about it?” He teases, then gets up as soon as the bus stops. “Come on, help me find a nice gift for my baby."

In the mall, while Jeno decides which damn store he wants to get in, Donghyuck keeps thinking about it, about asking Mark out.

Does he do it with a grand surprise? Or when they are both chilling in the kitchen, washing the dishes quietly after Donghyuck's mom cooks their favourite food? Is he ready to _be_ with Mark? Is he ready for rejection? There are so many things involved.

“How did you do it with Nana?” He asks, as they enter a sports store. “How did you decide that you were ready to risk it all for him?”

Jeno hums. “I don’t know. I just woke up one day and he was on my mind from the start, then I saw him in the school’s corridor, trying to fit a shit ton of stuff inside his backpack, remember? We were going out to the zoo, and Jaemin wanted to take pictures of the animals, so he brought his Mom’s professional camera and a lot of other photography stuff. And I looked at him and, I really don’t know how to explain it Hyuck, I just really looked at him and did it. Told him I liked him.” He shrugs. “Oh! I think he’s needs new badminton equipment!” He says, turning on his heels to ask for help.

Donghyuck nods. Well, it didn’t really help him, but he kind of can understand what Jeno meant by saying he woke up and Jaemin was there, inside his mind. Mark always is.

 He stills remembers the way Mark’s hands were trembling a little, just a tad bit, when he held Donghyuck’s waist tight enough to bruise.

 

* * *

 

“Can I come over after class?"

Donghyuck pauses in the middle of closing Mark’s car door. “Did something happen?”

When Mark is sad, Donghyuck _sniffs_ it in the air.

Like a shark sniffling blood, Donghyuck _knows_ before Mark even says anything that something isn't right; it’s the way he speaks, softly and low like he wants to talk, but doesn’t want to be heard, the way he pulls his pink hoodie over his head, pulling the strings a little too strongly, the way he looks into Donghyuck’s eyes seeking comfort, like he’s saying _be my friend_ and Donghyuck will.

The car ride was quiet and Mark _is_ usually quiet when driving because his dad rarely lets him drive and he likes to enjoy it on his own, and he let Donghyuck choose all the songs like he always does, but Donghyuck should’ve known something was up.

“Not here, ok?” Mark whispers, he comes to stand in front of Donghyuck, covers Donghyuck’s hands with his and closes the car door. “Can I?”

“Always.” Donghyuck says, Mark squeezes his hand.

For the rest of the morning, Donghyuck keeps thinking about what could possibly had happened to make Mark so blue. He doesn’t focus on shit his teachers says, Jaemin gives up on talking to him after five minutes. They all must know by now that something isn’t right.

During lunch, they don’t see Mark, which just makes Donghyuck restless and annoyed, he feels Jaemin and Jeno’s worry coming off them in waves.

By the time they are free to leave school property, Mark is already leaning against his car when Donghyuck gets to the parking lot.

That wasn’t exactly the right moment for Donghyuck’s mind to scream _fascinating, astonishing, beautiful, i’m in love with you_ , but the mere sight of Mark leaning lazily against his car with his eyes closed, well, Lee Donghyuck is in love, he gets a free pass.

“Mark,” Donghyuck calls softly and yet, Mark jumps.

“Oh,” He blinks. “Ready?”

Donghyuck nods, gets in the car and waits for Mark to say something.

“I’m sorry if I worried you.” Mark says, maneuvering the wheel carefully not to run some dumb students over. “Nothing really happened, I’m being dramatic, I guess.”

 _Bullshit,_ he wants to say. Mark is never dramatic. He’s the type of person who endures the pain or whatever it is just so he won't _bother_ anyone with his problems, like, Donghyuck is sure Mark would never bring that up if he wasn’t truly affected.

“Doubt it.” Donghyuck says.

Mark laughs. “You want to turn on the heater?” He asks when he notices Donghyuck’s hands are shaking a little.

“I’m okay, we are almost home anyway.” He says.

Mark stops at the red light.

“Your lips are purple.” He notices, staring directly at Donghyuck’s lips and maybe, yes, he was kind of cold because the sweatshirt he’s wearing is too thin, but now that Mark is looking at his lips, heavy eyelids, Donghyuck feels his skin burning.

“I’m fine.” He repeats turning his face away from Mark’s eyes.

Mark’s car stops in front of his house seven minutes later. “Is your mom home?” Mark asks.

“No, she’s working. My brothers are at Dad’s house for the weekend.” Donghyuck replies.

“Oh, right.” Mark waits til Donghyuck unlocks the door to start talking again. “Weren’t you supposed to leave to your Dad’s after school?”

 _Not if you need me._ “I don’t feel like going this weekend, I have too much shit to do.” Donghyuck shrugs. “You want to go to my room?”

Mark nods.

He flops onto Donghyuck’s bed as soon as Donghyuck opens his bedroom door. “I had a fight with my dad.” Mark says; he takes off his shoes and rolls on the bed til he’s under the duvet. “He said he would get me a flat out of campus, so I can live alone, if I gave up the idea of getting into that rap competition I told you about.”

“Oh, yes,” Donghyuck says. “The old case of emotional blackmail parents love to do.” Donghyuck takes off his shoes and his jeans, fetching two sweatpants in his wardrobe, he throws one of them at Mark and turns his back to him, his skin burns with the knowledge that Mark is changing clothes under his duvet.

“Well, yeah, but I’m used to it, at least when it comes from him.” Mark sighs. “My eyes are closed, by the way.”

Donghyuck laughs. “Prude.”

He gets under the duvet as soon as he’s comfortable, sits with his back against the headboard and sighs happily when Mark blindly seeks for his lap. “He called me stupid. Am I stupid for wanting to compete?” He asks, eyes still closed, a little frown in between his eyebrows.

Donghyuck’s fingers itches to touch his face, so he does, he starts with Marks cheekbones, feeling the smooth skin below his fingertips and proceeds to caress the bridge of his nose.

Mark hums, satisfied.

“I don’t think you are stupid.” Donghyuck says. "I mean, not because of this.” He feels more than sees the way Mark’s face contorts into a smile. “Your dad is being an asshole.”

“Maybe so.” Mark mumbles as Donghyuck’s index fingers traces the contours of his lips. “But I wanted him to support me, you know? It’s dumb.”

“Shut up.” Donghyuck asserts, hands sliding down to grip Mark’s throat, he presses his thumbs slightly and Mark sighs. Donghyuck keeps going, hands slipping lower, til his fingertips are touching Mark’s collarbones, feeling the soft fabric of the sweatshirt he’s wearing. “You are not stupid, this is not dumb. It’s something you love to do, and you’re really good at it.”

He brings his hands up again to play with Mark’s ears, feeling the softness of his earlobe and folding it as he wishes.

Mark opens his eyes. “Thanks, Hyuck.”

Donghyuck swallows. “You’re welcome, loser.”

“Can you pet my hair?” Mark asks, closing his eyes again and this is _so_ not fair, _so_ inconsiderate. Donghyuck loves to pet Mark’s hair, and he hardly gets to do it because Mark is always so far up his own ass he likes to make Donghyuck’s life harder than it have to be, but he does it anyways, represses the happy sigh threatening to leave his mouth.

Mark’s hair feels so incredibly soft, Donghyuck loves the way the strands feels against his fingers, he presses his fingers on Mark’s scalp, massaging lightly.

“Don’t get used to it.”

“Why not?” Mark questions, he finds one of Donghyuck’s hands and links their fingers. “You have angel hands.”

“I have Donghyuck hands.” He replies.

Mark laughs. “Even better.”

* * *

 

Weekends are good.

Donghyuck loves weekends: no school, no little brothers whining and screaming over who has the right to choose whatever is it they are going to watch and he gets to chill with his friends.

Weekends are even better when they come with sun more than clouds. Finally, he takes one of his shorts from the deepness of his wardrobe. Also, Mark can suck it. No pink sweater today, Donghyuck won’t be distracted.

Jeno and Jaemin, the package, are the first ones to arrive. The sun shines mercilessly through the clouds and Jaemin is already wearing what he likes the most: sleeveless shirts, so he can seduce Jeno with his biceps.

“Glad you finally decide to make the sun appear again.” Jaemin sing sons. “ _Full sun._ ”

Donghyuck blushes. “Yes, I had a superhero name when I was younger and what are you gonna do about it?”

“Ignore him, he’s just being annoying.” Jeno says, pulling Jaemin closer and kissing his forehead.

“As always.” Jaemin says, melting into his boyfriend.

“What time is Mark hyung coming?” Jeno asks. “Did you decide how you’re gonna confess?”

“I don’t know, Mark said he has to mow the lawn for his dad and I bet he’s gonna make Mark do it today.” He whines. “And don’t ever say “confess” again, this isn’t a romcom.”

“It sure looks like it, with the way you and Mark keep acting around each other, the whole school thinks you guys have been dating since Jaehyun left.” Jaemin speaks, rolling his eyes.

“Wait, what?”

“You heard me! The school is under the impression Mark Lee isn’t single!”

Donghyuck advances, hands ready to smack Jaemin upside down, but Jeno is _faster, stronger_ and Jeno is _in love_ so naturally he holds Donghyuck’s hand while Jaemin hides behind his back, eyes shining with mischief. “Why haven’t you said anything, you dumb fuck!”

“I only heard about it a few days ago, ask Jeno, babe, am I not saying the truth?”

“He is.” Jeno declares.

Donghyuck lowers his hand. “Fine. In Jeno I trust.”

“That’s mean, you have known me for longer.” Jaemin whines.

“Touche. I know you.” Donghyuck narrows his eyes.

Jaemin smirks. “Anyway!” He says, still looking at Donghyuck from behind Jeno’s shoulder. “Felix told me he overheard at least three boys talking about Mark in the boys’ bathroom and one of them said Mark wasn’t single, then the others were like ‘the hell man’ and they kept bickering back and forth til someone said Mark was dating you.”

Donghyuck gapes. “That’s… That’s... That's disgusting! They think Mark isn’t single and yet all of them are trying to get to suck his dick in every school surface!”

Jeno shrieks.

“No one fucking respects me in that school!” He keeps going.

“Calm down, oh my God.” Jeno says. “You know Mark hyung won’t let them suck his dick.”

“Yeah, that’s your j–”

“Don’t finish that sentence, I swear.” Jeno reprimands and Jaemin pouts.

As they move to the garden and Jaemin takes off his clothes to jump in the pool, squealing when the cold water hits his body making Jeno roll his eyes and sighs with fondness, the new information that the school thinks Mark and Donghyuck are a couple is still on Donghyuck’s mind.

He wants to know more, do people think they make a good couple? Do they act like a pair of lovebirds, high school sweethearts? Donghyuck doesn't think so, they don’t act like Jeno and Jaemin, for example, and _that’s_ how lovebirds act around each other.

He wonders if Mark knows about the rumour, the consensus of him not being ready to mingle since Jaehyun left that the school seems to have gotten to.

What would Mark say if Donghyuck told him that? Would he blush prettily and laugh? Would he complain?

Donghyuck sighs, it’s no use to try and guess what goes on inside Mark Lee’s brain. And he has no time to dwell on it either, he decides, as he sees Renjun approaching.

“Damn, you all look dead.” Renjun greets, blue tank top hanging off his shoulder. “The sun is shining! Be a dear and smile!”

“Don’t tell me to smile, that’s sexist.” Jaemin bites back.

“I was talking to Donghyuck. What’s up Full Sun?”

“People in my school think me and Mark have been dating since Jaehyun left for college.”

Renjun makes a face. “Yet, people are flirting with him left and right. You really have no homies.” He says, as he sits down next to Jeno. “Does Mark knows people think that?”

“Probably not,” says Jeno. “He would have said something to me.”

“I think he knows.” Jaemin chimes in, he’s floating in the pool, the perfect picture of someone whose head is free of any worries. Donghyuck feels like drowning him. “Maybe he likes knowing people won’t come at Donghyuck asking for a date. No one would do that to Mark.”

Donghyuck’s skin burns. He likes that idea, Mark getting possessive over him. Not overly possessive like creepy straight people, but just a little bit jealous, just so Donghyuck can feel wanted.

“Ugh, you are disgusting.” Renjun says. “We can see it on your face how much you like the idea of Mark getting possessive over you like a damn male alpha or some crap.”

“And what about it?” Donghyuck challenges, but Renjun is not Jeno – who’s too soft to actually bicker with Donghyuck –, and he isn’t like Jaemin, – who would waste no time in bickering, at this point Donghyuck and Jaemin had slapped each other more than their own moms did when they were kids – or Mark, who would probably bicker just to see Donghyuck getting heated and then would say ‘ _yes Hyuck, you are right’ ju_ st to see Donghyuck blushing.

Renjun is an evil little thing, he loves bickering.

“This is getting pathetic.” Renjun spits. “You like him, you _know_ he likes you. What’s stopping you?”

Donghyuck thinks for a second. Yes, he likes Mark, loves him. And _yes_ , he thinks Mark feels the same way and _yes_ , he wants to be with Mark.

But he doesn’t know Mark as a boyfriend, he knows Mark as a best friend, someone who’s always by your side in a platonic, friendly kind of way. Also, Donghyuck doesn’t actually remembers his life _before_ Mark, they met when they were kids and Donghyuck had curls and was chubby and Mark wore braces and was a skinny little thing and now they aren’t none of these things anymore, they grew out of it, but they have each other just like they did back then.

How would it work out if, for some reason, they had to break up? Would Mark go away? How would Donghyuck go on with his life, having lost his other half?

Isn’t it better then, to keep things as they are? To know he’s going to always have Mark with him?

“There are many things that could go wrong.” He says, in the end.

Mark doesn’t show up until late afternoon, when the temperature already lowered again, though Donghyuck being stubborn like he is, is still wearing the shorts he picked up that morning, they are partially soaked because Jaemin and Renjun were playing fight in the pool, but Donghyuck is nothing if not persistent; if he wants to wear shorts, then he will.

Jeno and Jaemin are settled in the only available loveseat, Jaemin thrown all over Jeno’s broader body and Renjun is seated on the couch, feet poking Donghyuck’s thigh.

No one is actually paying attention to the movie.

When the doorbell rings, Donghyuck is up in a second.

“Dad really came for my throat the whole day.” Mark says as soon as Donghyuck opens the door. He’s wearing a black cap, and it makes it hard for Donghyuck to look at his eyes. Well, clearly Mark’s dad still has a fork up his ass.

“Did he give you money, at least?” Donghyuck asks, closing the door behind him.

Mark shakes his head. “He’s dead set on making me beg for money so he can make me give up the competition.”

By the end of his sentence, the others are already up and alert. “What competition?” Renjun asks. “I didn’t know you were into competing.”

“I'm not into competing, I’m into rapping.” Mark says, flopping down on the couch next to Renjun, he immediately launches his legs on Mark’s lap, whose hands find Renjun’s ankles, messaging a little.

Donghyuck used to be jealous of how close Mark and Renjun are, given their different schools and everything else, but he’s past that now, especially because he knows Renjun is a bitch, but not a _bitch_ and also, if Renjun had to choose someone to thirst after it wouldn't be Mark, for why Renjun’s type is clearly older, taller, stronger boys like Yukhei – or was it Lucas? – the one boy Renjun is trying to win over at his school.

Of course, it bothers him that Renjun’s legs are receiving a massage from Mark’s hands right in front of his face, but with the way Renjun is smirking, Donghyuck knows it's on purpose.

 _Whore,_ he mouths at Renjun, who just smiles sweetly at him.

“Dad is mad at me for wasting time on it.” Mark continues. “Guess that getting into med school wasn’t enough to make him proud.”

“Your dad should fuck off.” Renjun remarks. “And you know I think you should not be a pre med if you don’t feel like being one.”

“Exactly.” Jeno agrees, trying to change into a better position without moving too much with Jaemin half asleep on him. “You don’t actually need to do everything you dad wants.”

Donghyuck nods, he knows it’s useless to tell Mark these things; Mark will get into med school, it's family tradition and he actually loves the whole saving lives, helping  those in need kind of thing.

For now though, he sits down in the arm couch, next to Mark and pretends he doesn’t see the way Mark’s eyes follow the expanse of his naked thighs, the way his breath hitches when Donghyuck deliberated squeezes his own thigh, just to make Mark want to do it himself.

He smiles when he sees Mark’s hand squeezing Renjun’s ankle a little too hard, making him wince.

“Sorry, sorry.” Mark says, blushing.

It’s late when the boys leave, but Mark wants to stay for a little longer. “Why don’t you sleep over, then?”

“Your mom’s gonna be okay with it?”

Donghyuck scoffs. “She loves you more than she loves me, I will just text her saying you will be here when she gets home.”

“Oh, she isn’t here?” Mark asks, carefully.

“No.” Donghyuck says. “When is she ever home since the divorce?”

“Don’t be mean, she’s enjoying herself.”

He sighs. “I know, I don’t blame her. Besides, it means she trusts me enough to leave me by myself. I could throw a party.”

“You have no friends.” Mark says and runs away, upstairs, when Donghyuck raises his fist.

They get to Donghyuck’s bedroom and Mark drives himself to the window, closing it. “So we won’t feel cold.” He reasons and Donghyuck shrugs, nodding.

“Can you borrow me some pants?” Mark asks, taking off his cap and messing up his hair. Donghyuck sighs, he looks so cute like that.

“Yes.” He answers, then, “You look tired.”

Mark sniffs, his nose is a little red. “Have been going to sleep late, gotta work on some of my lyrics.”

Donghyuck hums, throws Mark some pants. “Is that all?”

“Yes. Can you close your eyes?”

“Prude.” But he turns on his heels, his back to Mark.

He doesn’t think Mark ever cared about these things, if Donghyuck remembers well – and he does – they used to see each other half naked all the time, but since last summer, Mark has been watching out. He doesn’t change his clothes where Donghyuck can see and he tries not to look at Donghyuck when he does. Now, maybe he should add that do the list of things that changed after their kiss.

“I’m done.” Mark says. “You want me to–”

Donghyuck scoffs, unbuttoning his shorts before Mark can finish his sentence. He looks right into Mark’s eyes as he wiggles his shorts down til the fabric is pooling at his bare feet. Mark stares, eyes tracing his skin, his thighs, his calves, all of him bit by bit in a way that makes Donghyuck forget all about the cold.

“No.” He replies, a tad late. “I don't care if you see me like this. Do you?”

Mark blushes deeply and Donghyuck _swears_ it would feel so warm against the palm of his hand.

“N– no”.

“Great.” He says as pulls his sweatpants up his naked legs, then, falls onto the bed and pets the mattress. “Sleep with me.”

Mark lets out a pained sound. “What?” He chokes out.

Donghyuck smiles innocently. “Are you not tired?”

“You are going to kill me.” Mark murmurs under his breath.

“Close the door and turn off the lights.”

Donghyuck is tired from all the swimming and the laughing and school, with all the work school has been giving their class it looks like _he_ is the one graduating; he turns on his sides, pulls the duvet around his body and waits to feel Mark laying behind him, his eyelids already weighting down.  

Ten minutes after Donghyuck closes his eyes and is about to let sleep wash through him he hears Mark’s soft voice, “Hyuck? Hyuck are you asleep?”

 _Dumbass._ If he was asleep does Mark thinks he would answer? What an idiot, Donghyuck wants to say, but Mark sighs, breath tickling Donghyuck’s nape. Seconds passes and Donghyuck feels Mark’s arm surrounding him, pulling him closer to his chest; he feels Mark’s heartbeat, feels the hardness of his chest, how broad he is, can even feel the heat of his skin.

Donghyuck stays still, focusing on not letting Mark notice he’s fully awake, more than he was before.

Mark squeezes his arm around Donghyuck’s waist softly, kisses that little spot behind Donghyuck’s ear – same one he kissed months ago – and all he wants to do is scream. Is this the sign he was waiting for? Is Mark confirming, wordlessly, that he wants Donghyuck as much as Donghyuck wants him?

Mark breathes in, clearly inhaling Donghyuck’s scent and humming low on his throat and Donghyuck can’t hold back the shiver that runs through him, but Mark doesn’t let go. Little by little, Donghyuck relaxes, sleeping enclosing him again and Mark, too. They are breathing in synch, he notices.

_Soulmates or some shit._

* * *

 

“Do you believe in soulmates?” Donghyuck asks, nonchalantly. “Like, when Jeno says you are his soulmate, do you feel the same?”

Mondays, surprisingly so, are one of Donghyuck’s favourite days for one sole reason: volleyball practice. Of course, today his mind has been wandering so bad his team captain Kevin has already given him _two_ warnings, which is a lot considering Kevin has a _big_ crush on Donghyuck – everybody knows that, Kevin doesn’t try to keep it a secret, but he also never acted on it, now, Donghyuck knows it may be Mark Lee’s fault – and he always lets him slide.

Jaemin looks at him, puzzled at the sudden question. They are standing far enough from each other that Donghyuck has to raise his voice a little, still not much for the rest of their volleyball team to hear them.

“Yes,” Nana says, “I do believe Jeno is my soulmate as much as he believes I am his. Why?”

“Do you think I could be _someone’s_ soulmate?” He questions, knowing Jaemin will know exactly who that _someone_ is.

Jaemin raises an eyebrow. “Did something happen after we left?”

“No.”

“Can you two _please_ focus on the damn game?” One of the boys say, voice cold like ice.

Jaemin rolls his eyes. “Calm down Youngmin, it’s practice game.”

“So practice.” Youngmin shots back, turning fully to stare at Jaemin. Donghyuck open his mouth intending on hurting Youngmin’s feelings and put him back on his place when someone screams _“watch out!”,_ Donghyuck turns his head to see what’s happening and feels the sharp pain of the ball hitting his face, full on his nose and upper lip.

His nose splashes blood, red and warm.

Needless to say, it’s chaos.

“What the fuck!” Jaemin screams, but Donghyuck doesn’t know at who he’s screaming. It hurts so much. His brain is fuzzy, he can feel the blood soaking his uniform, he tries to open his mouth, but the pain stops him. He whines.

“Let’s take him to the nursery!” Kevin says, worried.

“He’s bleeding so much, I’m gonna throw up.” Someone adds.

“Don’t fucking touch him, Youngmin.” Jaemin snarls. “Hyuck? Hyuck, are you listening?” Donghyuck nods. “Good, good, can you open your eyes?”  He shakes his head. “It’s okay babe, I will take you the nurse, I’m gonna take your hand, it’s okay.” Jaemin says softly, Donghyuck feels Jaemin’s hand curling around his wrist. Someone hands him a piece of clothing to staunch the blood and he grabs it blindly. 

When they get to the nursery, Donghyuck lays down, he’s feeling dizzy and his nose hurts so bad he is completely sure he’s crying. “Oh no, what happened?” The school nurse asks.

“Volleyball accident.” Jaemin replies. “I think his nose is broken.”

Donghyuck panics, whining restlessly.

“Thanks, sweetie, you can leave now, I will take care of him.” The nurse says, but Donghyuck holds Jaemin’s hand.

“M– ma–” He tries to speak, but his mouth is probably bleeding too. His whole face hurts.

“Mark?” Jaemin asks. “You want him?”

Donghyuck nods, with some difficulty.

“Okay, I will call him.” Jaemin replies. “But you need to let go of my hand.”

Donghyuck remembers being a kid and getting hit by a football ball, not on his face, but close enough. Back then, he used to be chubby and that made everyone think it would be funny to mess with him, the pain doesn’t even compare to what he feels now, he knows his hands are shaking.

He prays for his nose not to be broken.

“I’m gonna clean you a little bit.” The nurse says, Donghyuck feels the cotton gauze compress touching his face and it smells like hospital, his stomach protests, but the nurse is delicate so it doesn’t hurt.

Donghyuck feels less like suffocating as she cleans the blood out of his face, then, she asks him to open his mouth and cleans the cut on his lip. “Can you open your eyes? I lowered the lighting.” She says. “I will examine your nose now, tell me if it hurts.” The ceiling is white, but it doesn’t hurt to look at it.

Donghyuck feels her cold fingers touching his face, he whines loud in pain closing his eyes again. It’s hard to breath, but he manages. She says it’s probably not broken, but they will have to wait for the swelling to go down, maybe it’s better for him to go to a proper hospital. He nods and nods and nods, til she says she’s going to prescribe him some medicine. “It will make you feel sleepy.”

“Okay.” He rasps out, mouth tasting like blood.

A loud familiar voice comes from behind the closed door. “Where is he? Hyuck? Hyuck? Oh God, is he okay?”

“Young man, I will need you to respect the patient and lower your voice.” The nurse reprimands.

“Sorry. Can I see him?”

Donghyuck reckons she says yes, as he hears the door opening.

“Baby, oh my god.” Mark says.

Donghyuck has his eyes closed, the medicine taking a toll on him, but he reaches blindly for Mark’s hand, when he founds it he holds on thight.

“‘M okay.” He murmurs, slowly, not to provoke the pain again.

“God, I was worried, I heard people saying you were bleeding and Jaemin took so fucking long to explain.” Mark says. He brings Donghyuck’s hands closer to his face, kissing his knuckles. “Does it hurt a lot?”

Donghyuck tries to shake his head and winces.

“Only when I move. It hurt more before the meds.” He says. He tries to open his eyes, but he feels sleepy as hell. “Can you take me home?” Donghyuck asks.

“The nurse was trying to call your parents.”

“Mom is working, dad is out of town. I want to leave, it smells like an hospital in here.”

Mark giggles. “Okay, okay, I will take you.” He bends down to kiss Donghyuck’s forehead. “Wait a minute.”

Donghyuck wakes up on his own bed. With some difficulty, he opens his eyes and looks around. Definitely his room. His face is sore and he’s still having some trouble breathing, he reckons he needs to go see a doctor as soon as possible.

He gets up carefully, his mouth is dry as fuck and he needs to drink water or else he’s going to faint, but before he can get to the door, Mark is there.

“Woa, woa, get back in bed!” He says, balancing a tray in his hand while simultaneously trying to close the door. “I called your mom, she’s going to stop at the pharmacy to get some painkillers before she comes home. Your brothers are asleep, I put on some dvds for them after I picked them up from school, but I guess they were tired. Oh, I bought some food, you know I can’t cook and I thought you would be hungry when you woke up.”

“I love you.” Donghyuck says. “You know you are amazing, right?”

Even in the dark room, Donghyuck can see Mark’s cheeks getting red. “Shut up. I am not amazing, this is me being your best friend.”

“You are more than that.” Donghyuck says, his voice sounding weird. “I just need to drink something, my throat is dry like the Sahara desert.”

Mark gets closer, putting the tray on the bed in front of Donghyuck, he reaches for the lamp so he can light up the room a little.

“I was so worried.” He says, voice low. “Everyone kept saying you were bleeding so bad, I kept thinking the most torturous things and when I saw Nana he was so pale.”

“I was just hit by a ball.” Donghyuck utters.

“I didn’t know that.” He whines. “I only knew you were hurt. Now I know you were hurt because you are a dumbass, but at that moment I only wanted to see you.”

There were so many moments in the past few months where Donghyuck judged impossible for him to stop himself from kissing Mark’s cute little mouth, moments where he looked at him and wanted nothing more than sink his teeth into his bottom lip so strongly Mark would let out a soft whine, but the truth is: nothing ever prepared him to this moment right here, looking at Mark’s pliant expression, seeing how worried he really was, seeing how sweet and pleasant is the way he stares at Donghyuck, nothing prepared him to feel so much love.

“I don’t deserve you.” Donghyuck says, busying himsef with the juice glass.

Mark is much more than what Donghyuck could’ve asked for, much better than what he could dream of; Mark Lee is caring, sweet, considerate, honest and loveable.

Mark Lee works hard for him and for others, Mark Lee will never let him down, Donghyuck knows that. He even took care of Donghyuck’s little brothers, three little heathens, but he knows they love Mark as much as he does.

“Don’t say that.” Mark scolds. “I am already yours anyway, deserving or not.”

This is new territory for the both of them, the way they are being brutally honest and hiding a little bit at the same time, the way Mark is telling him without second thoughts how he feels. Donghyuck must be looking awful with a black eye, swollen nose and bloated lip, his head still foggy, but Mark is looking at him like he’s the prettiest little thing in the world.

“Are you?”

“A hundred percent.”

Donghyuck smiles.

 

* * *

 

“The doctor said it will take two or three weeks to heal completely.” Donghyuck is saying while Renjun examines his nose. “But the swelling went down a lot and it’s not actually hurting anymore.”

“I hope it won’t look ugly.” Renjun declares, finally. “I like your button nose.”

Donghyuck laughs. “You will pay for my nose job if it gets ugly, won’t you?”

“Ask your boyfriend, he’s got way more money than me.” Renjun teases. “I heard from a pink bird that he was in distress the whole time.”

“Nana needs to get beaten.” Donghyuck rolls his eyes. His best friend is a snitch. “Yes, he was stressed, but he calmed down after he saw I was fine.”

Renjun stares at him. “You need to make a move on him. He’s graduating soon.”

“I know. He’s leaving, so why bother?”

Renjun scoffs. “He’s not leaving the country, its a two hours drive, stop being a whiny bitch.”

“I’m scared.” Donghyuck whispers.

Renjun sighs, he comes to sit down on Donghyuck’s bed, taking both his hands into his. “Mark would never hurt you.”

“But what if I hurt him, somehow? What if I’m a bad boyfriend, what if I fuck up and lose him?”

“All these things will only have an answer once you try.” Renjun says, squeezing Donghyuck’s fingers. “But I know you would never hurt him, Hyuck, you love him.”

“I do.” Donghyuck says. “He’s the most precious thing I’ve in my life.”

Renjun smiles. “You are so fucking gross.”

“Yes and what about it?” He rolls his eyes. “I just… I just feel so happy when I’m with him.”

When Renjun leaves – he ditched his last classes of the day to visit his hurt best friend, but couldn’t stay too long since his chauffeur was going to pick him up at school –  Donghyuck is still thinking about what he said: _These things will only have an answer once you try._

He hasn’t gone to school, his mom let him stay home after the volleyball incident, he knows Mark is coming over after class. Maybe he should try it. Maybe he should try to confess, as Jeno would say. Donghyuck knows he must look far from what he should look like when confessing, he’s still got a black eye and although his nose isn’t swollen anymore, his lips are still a little puffy.

If Mark says yes to him looking like this, its true love.

He’s studying the endless forms of confessing he could use when his phone rings. It’s Mark, saying he can’t come over after class. It’s really just his luck.

“Are you really going to be mean to me after I got my nose broken?” Donghyuck whines, holding the phone in between his cheek and his shoulder as he plays with a magic cube from one of his brothers.

 _“I’m not being mean, I’m just saying I cant come over right after class, my dad is mad at me.”_ Mark says, he sounds amused. “ _I need to do my homework first, he said.”_

“Fuck your homework, I’m hurt.”

“Y _ou said you were okay.”_

“Well, you said you were coming over.”

Mark sighs. _“Can you wait two hours? Just two hours?”_

Donghyuck sits down on the bed. “I miss you, Mark.”

 _“Baby,”_ Mark says, it’s the second time he calls Donghyuck baby and this is messing up his brain, it’s affecting him deeply. Mark only used this word when he was teasing Donghyuck for something, but this is him being soft, this is him being romantic. Did he feel the change, too?

“What.” Donghyuck replies.

_“I really can’t leave the house. Mrs. Kim is watching me.”_

“He’s got you a babysitter.” He laughs, whining a little when the stretch of his lip makes the cut burn.

“S _he’s not a babysitter...”_ Mark whines. _“She’s a family friend.”_

“You are nineteen.” Donghyuck says. “Break some rules, come see me.”

“ _I am a prude, remember? I can’t do anything scandalous.”_

“So I will go to you.”

“Y _ou said you were hurting.”_

“I just want to see you.”

_“Then come. I will wait for you.”_

It’s not like Mark’s dad could forbid Donghyuck from seeing Mark. No one has the right.

* * *

  
Donghyuck gets to Mark’s house in fifteen minutes, it could have been faster if he didn’t feel like passing out from the cold. He feels like his fucked up nose is about to fall off. When he was younger, he used to come visit Mark all the time,  he only stopped coming so much after their kiss.

When he knocks on the door Mrs. Kim greets him warmly, she seems surprised at first, but its not like she can do something to stop Donghyuck from entering the house, Mark’s mom would hate that.

“You know where his room is.” She says, sighing.

He winks at her, already on his way upstairs. Mark’s door is open, he doesn't even need to knock.

“Mrs Kim is going to snitch on you.” He says, taking off his shoes and the heavy jacket.

“Why aren’t you using a mask?” Mark says, a frown on his face. “It’s freezing and you’re injured.”

“I’m fine.” Donghyuck rolls his eyes.

So much has happened in the last few days, Donghyuck almost forgot about the pink sweatshirt, but now it’s there, around Mark’s torso laughing at him.

Mark’s room is warmer, heater on as it always is, so Mark is wearing basketball shorts and the pink sweater. He looks adorable, specs sliding down his nose, and he slides it back up with his index finger.

“Come here.” Mark says and taps the bed. “I’ve got work to do, but I can finish quick.”

“It’s okay.” Donghyuck says. The whole room smells like Mark, he basks in it. “I just… wanted to be with you. It’s better than being alone.” He shrugs.

Mark nods. “Did you see Renjun today? He said in the group chat he was going to see you.”

“Yeah, he came for a little bit. You know how he is, he said he was scared my nose would look ugly.”

Mark laughs. “Your nose could never look ugly.” He says. “You will always be the prettiest.”

That’s it.

Mark is flirting, making moves, he’s teasing, pulling, pushing. Donghyuck knows what to do. It’s familiar, in some ways. It’s not like they ever flirted like this, without hiding the real intent behind their words, but teasing each other is something they are used to. It fits their relationship, the way they are competing, somehow, to see who’s going to break first.

Donghyuck always thought he had the upfront in this, Mark always backtracked, but now Mark is coming to the front, making his way in between Donghyuck’s ribs with his pointy elbows.

He reaches for Mark’s hand and pulls him closer, he comes nearer. “You think so?”

“Yes.” He breathes out. If Donghyuck pulls a little more, Mark will be all over him.

He pulls.

Mark stumbles to the front, hands coming to each side of Donghyuck’s hips. “Mark.” Donghyuck says and Mark keens. _I'm in love with you._ “I hate that sweatshirt.”

“I know.” He answers. “I think I look cute.” Mark says, then he’s moving, pushing Donghyuck farther in bed until his back is against the headboard. Mark straddles his thighs, hands coming to hold onto Donghyuck’s shoulders. “I think you think I look cute too.”

“Maybe I do.” Donghyuck says, hands coming, slowly, to hold at Mark’s thighs. He feels the softness of the basketball short and well, that won’t do, he bets Mark has softer skin. Donghyuck tugs the fabric up and up, til half of Mark’s soft and milky thighs are there for him to do as he pleases. He touches them lightly. “Maybe I think you always look cute.”

Mark shudders on his lap. “Hyuck.”

“You made me crazy.” Donghyuck says, fingertips running up and down Marks thighs. “You made me think you didn’t want me.”

“About that...” Mark says, apologetically. “I didn't know you wanted me, I realized late.” He bites his lip. “I want you. So much.”

Donghyuck smiles, he bends his head so his lips can reach Mark’s jawline. “You know what I’m thinking?” Mark shakes his head, Donghyuck’s lips drags across his skin. Mark tastes like paradise. “I’m thinking about how it felt to have your tongue in my mouth.”

Kiss me. He wants to beg. Kiss me, Mark Lee, goddamn. Right now, though, he’s the one in control.

“Donghyuck, please.” Mark whispers as Donghyuck licks into his neck, tasting his skin, his cologne, feeling Mark’s pulse beneath his lips. “I’m–” He cuts himself off with a moan when Donghyuck sucks on his neck, hard, he squirms on Donghyuck’s lap. “I thought you–” He moans again, hands squeezing Donghyuck’s shoulder. “Thought you only wanted to kiss me because you didn’t want to be the only one who hadn’t kissed yet.”

Donghyuck represses the urge to rolls his eyes, instead he looks at Mark’s neck to examine the blossom bruise on his skin. “You are really fucking dense.” He says, in the end.

He nods. “Yeah.” Mark’s hands slides down his shoulders, his forearms, he finds Donghyuck’s hands and brings them up his ass. Donghyuck squeezis it and smiles. “Sorry for that.”

“You’re forgiven.” Donghyuck says, before closing the distance between them. One of his hand goes up, from Mark's ass to the back of his neck, lips soft against Mark's, breath hot, tongue determined to make Mark let out these little moans again, the ones he did months ago, during their first kiss.

Kissing Mark feels even better than what he remembered.

Mark's hands fists Donghyuck's shirt, trying to pull him closer, closer, he tilts his chin upward, pressuring himself against him.  Donghyuck pulls back, wincing in pain. Mark's chest heavens against Donghyuck as he tries to regain his breath. “Fuck, I forgot my lips were hurt too.” Donghyuck says, voice rough.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I like it a little rough.”

Mark blushes. ‘Shut up, oh my God.”

“Kiss me, then.”

Donghyuck's skin is tingling, his fingers digging into Mark's _cursed, haunted, beautiful_ sweatshirt, he pulls Mark closer. "Kiss me." He repeats, smiling.

He joins their mouths again, warm and sweet, Donghyuck licks behind Mark’s teeth, curls his tongue around Mark’s and caress it, he feels the way Mark’s breath is hitching, the way he keeps moving around, trying to glue himself to Donghyuck.

He throws his arms around Mark, wrapping him fully, steading him.

Mark kisses him harder, sucks on his lip until it’s swollen, licks the cut that is almost totally healed, making Donghyuck whine against his mouth, asking for more and Mark gives him more. Donghyuck withdraws one of his hands from around Mark to bunch up his sweater, noticing Mark has nothing underneath when he feels Mark’s warm bare back beneath his fingertips.

Mark arches for him.

His face feels sore, the little cut on his mouth probably making it hard and his nose is sensitive to the way Mark’s face rubs against it from time to time, but Donghyuck doesn’t feel like stop kissing Mark anytime soon. Mark sucks on his tongue, making himself at home on his lap and Donghyuck moans loudly. “Shhh, baby, we don’t want Mrs. Kim to come check on us right now, do we?” He says, then presses a messy, wet kiss on his jaw.

“No, I will be quieter, get back here.” Donghyuck complains and Mark grins. They kiss again, Mark’s tongue dragging against every inch of Donghyuck’s mouth, Mark sucks on his lower lip again til it’s tender and sensitive. “I want to try something.” Donghyuck says as Mark leans in, licking a long stripe from his neck to his jaw.

“What?” He breathes against the wet skin of Donghyuck’s jaw.

“I want to mark you up.”

Mark whines and rolls against Donghyuck without thinking, moaning a little. “Oh god. Oh. Okay.”

Donghyuck bends his head a little and licks Mark’s neck, sucking into it like he always wanted to do. Mark has such a pretty soft skin, Donghyuck’s is darker, harder to bruise, but Mark is pale, squeezing him is enough to make a bruise appear.

Donghyuck’s biggest wish was to bruise Mark using his lips. He gives Mark countless hickeys, on his neck and clavicles, his jawline, he sucks and bites where Mark’s adam’s apple is and only when Mark begs him, he stops.

“We _need_ to calm down.” Mark reasons and Donghyuck laughs.

When Mark gets off his lap, Donghyuck misses it automatically. “You want to stay for dinner?” Mark asks after a few seconds.

Donghyuck nods.”You’re going to introduce me as your boyfriend?” He teases.

“Maybe.”

“Seriously?” He asks.

Mark grins. “I’ve always wanted to call you mine.”

“Then say it.”

“Say what?”

“Say I am yours and tell me you are mine so I will know this is as real as I want it to be.”

Mark comes closer, kisses Donghyuck once, twice, licks into his mouth like it’s his home and says, hot and full of love against Donghyuck’s bruised lips. “You are mine and I am yours and this is real. I will be yours forever.”

“I will be _yours_ forever.” Donghyuck says back.

Soulmates, he thinks, in all of their lives if they have more than one, in all of the others universes: Mark Lee and Lee Donghyuck are one.

After dinner with Mark’s parents  – Mark’s parents are an enigma. Donghyuck doesn’t doubt they are great parents, have to be to raise such an incredible child like Mark, but sometimes the way they are, the way they talk or even just the way they look at everything around them chills Donghyuck to the bone. Mark’s mom is always super busy, from what Mark says it was always like this, she was rarely ever home, being a business woman she had so much shit to worry about, but Mark always says she made time for him enough so he wouldn't feel neglected. Mark’s dad, well, he is a doctor, they are always a little cold. He always treated Donghyuck politely, but Donghyuck knows Mark’s dad had a different idea of who his son should be with. Maybe someone like Jaehyun, soft edges and malleable, not someone like Donghyuk. Not that Mr. Lee would ever say it out loud. During dinner, Donghyuck felt welcomed, even. It was Mr. Lee who said he should stay the night, when the rain started to come down. His eyes were intense when he said “no funny business, boys”. – Mark has a sleepy Donghyuck on his chest.

“I was scared, you know?” Donghyuck says, softly with his eyes closed as he feels Mark’s hand caressing his back, underneath his shirt. The dark room and the rain noise makes the scenery feels like a dream. Mark’s smell on the tip of Donghyuck’s nose, their legs tangled. “I still am scared.”

“Of what?” Mark asks.

“Not knowing how to be with you. Dating may change everything. It may ruin what we have.”

“Baby,” He calls, so Donghyuck tilts his head up. “This won’t ruin anything. Didn’t you hear me when I said I was yours? Our friendship was never just a friendship. It was always a little more, behind the veil. I am as ready as you are, but I know we are gonna make it. We fit each other, Hyuck. We are not the same, we don’t like the same stuff and we have different definitions for everything, but you are what I want. You are it for me, I know that. It’s the only thing I’m completely sure of.”

Donghyuck hides his face on Marks chest, smiling dumbly. “You are it for me too.” He whispers against Mark’s shirt. “You have been it for me since I was 13 years old."

“Shut up, I looked like an alien.”

“A baby alien,” Donghyuck corrects. “My baby alien.” He pouts, earning a peck. “I’m in love with you.”

“I know.” Mark says, smiles and kisses Donghyuck once again. “I’m sorry I was dumb and didn't realize it sooner.”

Donghyuck giggles. “You really thought I was just being too friendly or what?”

“I just didn’t think you would actually be into me like _that_. But everytime someone said I was lucky to have you, especially after school games, damn, I felt on the top of the world.”

Donghyuck sits up so quickly he gets dizzy. “What?”

“The school thinks we have been dating since Jae left.” Mark explains.

“So you knew that.”

“You didn't?"

“No! Jaemin told me that like last week!” Donghyuck whines. “I got mad because they still tried to get into your pants even then. No one flirted with me because of you, but you were still being asked out left and right.”

“I always said no.” Mark pulls him to his chest again. “You were always, you are always, the only thing in my mind.”

“Gross. “ He mumbles. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Even if we break up…”

“We won’t” Mark interrupts. “Stop thinking about getting it over with, it’s been two hours since we started dating.”

“What is going to happen when you leave for college?”

“I’m going to see you on holidays, maybe even weekends, You can come to see me at my flat, you know my Mom is going to convince my Dad. It’s just a year, then you will be there with me.”

“You’re going to be busy.”

“Never too busy I won’t be able to talk to you.”

Donghyuck sighs. They are quiet for a few minutes. “You are really set on being with me, aren't you?” He asks.

“Yes. Are you?”

“Mark I’ve always wanted you.”

“Then it’s done. We are together. We are going to be together for a long time.”

“Forever?” Donghyuck asks.

“Yeah,” Mark kisses him. “Forever.” He says, against Donghyuck’s lips. 

* * *

“I’m cold.” Donghyuck complains.

Mark rolls his eyes. “Why didn’t you bring a jacket?”

“Because.” He says, tapping his foot impatiently.

It’s been two weeks, Donghyuck thinks, two weeks of being Mark’s boyfriend and all his doubts were dumb like him. Being Mark’s boyfriend isn’t hard, being with Mark, reaching out for him and kissing him, cuddling with him and biting his nape, all this isn’t _scary,_  it’s natural.

“You want my, how do you call it? Oh yes, _cursed_ sweatshirt.” Mark raises an eyebrow.

“It _is_ cursed. I can’t wait for summer so I will never see it again.”

Mark laughs, pulls Donghyuck close and kisses his nose – it’s not ugly, thank God, but now he’s got a little scar on his lip, it’s okay though, Mark loves to lick it when they are making out. – and says “I want summer so I can see you wearing that tiny shorts of yours.”

Donghyuck blushes. “You like it?” He asks, but Mark doesn’t answer right away, instead taking off his pink sweater. “Oh god, no, you are gonna get cold.”

“My stage is in fifteen minutes. It’s okay.” He helps Donghyuck put it on. “And yes I like your shorts, you look hot.”

He nods. “It smells like you.” Donghyuck says. “I love it.”

“I love you.” Mark says.

“Shut up.” He whines. “I have to go back to the crowd. I think Nana, Jeno and Renjun are here with the kids and you know how Renjun gets next to Chenle. Also my brothers need constant vigilance or else they are going to bring this building down.”

“Okay, okay.” Mark nods. “Kiss me good luck?”

Donghyuck pulls him closer, kissing him slow and tender, tongue familiar to the way Mark’s mouth feels hot and wet. “I love you. You are gonna win this.”

“I don’t need to win.” Mark says against his lips. “I just need to have fun.”

“And I said what I said.” Donghyuck rolls his eyes. “If it gets too much–”

“I will find you in the crowd.” Mark completes.

“I will be there.”

(Mark doesn’t win the competition, he ranks third place, but whatever right? He’s got his friends, he’s got the boy and did his best. Donghyuck loves him. He can try again next year.)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave kudos I feed off them.


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